Resilient wheel



May 20, 1941. sm 2,242,915

RESILIENT WHEEL Filed April 15, 1937 Mada? Patented May 20, 1941 UiTEDSTATES RES'I-LIENT WHEEL Carlo D. Koski, Minneapolis, Minn, assigncr ofone-half to John A. Kaneshi, Minneapolis,

Minn.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a tire-equipped wheel structure which isparticularly adaptable 'for use on small toys and on lChll'CllenSvehicles such as coaster wagons and the like, but is a structure whichit is conceived may'also be adapted for use on large vehicles of anytype.

In one form of the invention I have found that I can produce a structureof this kind which will have generally the appearance of a standardwheel with a tire by taking a resilient element having a surface ofrevolutionand compressing it from opposite points on the axis of saidsurface of revolution and then retaining the element in itscompressedcondition by some sort of securing means so that the finishedarticle has the appearance of the ordinary single vehicle wheel andtire. In other forms of the invention I can produce a tired wheelconstruction which has the appearance of a dual wheel such as is used onthe rear wheels of the heavier trucks and buses.

It is an object of my invention to provide a structure of this typewhich may be quickly and easily formed from a relatively simpleresilient element at much less cost than that of molding the object inits finished shape.

It is a further object to provide a structure having the appearance .ofan ordinary tire equipped wheel which may be formed from .a hollowelement or a relatively solid compressible element having at least onesurface of revolution. A further object is toprovide a structure of thegeneral type described which may be inflated without the use of an-innertube, or which may be used without inflation, the material rom which thetire element is formed having sufiicient rigidity to support itself andthe vehicle to which it is applied.

A still further object is to produce a tire equipped wheel structurefrom compressible resilient elements which may have nearly anyconceivable shape within certain reasonable limits just so long as theelement has at least one surface of revolution.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morefully set forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in structure inone embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-4! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partially broken away side elevation of a different type ofcompressible element;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one of the completed wheelstructures made with the element shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is illustrative of a still different type of compressibleelement;

Fig. 7 is a wheel structure formed from the element shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a reduced View of a relatively solid compressible element, and

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken through a wheel structure made withone of said relatively solid compressible elements.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, ther is shown in Fig. l aball-like structure Ii] which is preferably made of a relatively highgrade of rubber. In this particular form I have shown the compressibleelement as being hollow with openings H extending through the built upinner shoulder portions 52. The treadlike portions 13 which are shownhave rings around the ball with their centers coinciding with the axesof the openings II. The compressible element It is shown in Fig. 1 to beasubstantially true sphere. This particular shape is especiallyadaptable for making a single wheel structure as shown inFlgs. 2 and 3,but it is not necessary that the compressible element l'il besubstantially spherical. The only requirement is that the element haveat least one surface of revolution and, of course, it would be necessaryfor the surface of revolution to lie at right angles to the openings Hso that the circumference of the finished product will be circular.

When an element such as the element It has been compressed inwardly fromopposite points along the axis of its surface of revolution, the elementwill take the shape shown in Fig. 3. In the particular embodiment shown,the shoulders l2 on the inside of the element are in abutment. In Figs.2 and 3 there is shown a pair of circular apertured plates M which areshown in Fig. 3 to be irregularly shaped so that when they are pressedtightly against the sides of the compressed element Iii, the portions ofthe compressed element adapted to provide the side walls and beads ofthe tire structure Will be held in the cross sectional shape of thestandard vehicle tire. A sleeve I5 is then inserted through the openingsin the plate it and the openings H in the compressed element and theagainst the side walls of the tire structure.

ends of the sleeve i5 bent over as at It to rigidly secure the entirestructure together.

When an element of this type is compressed inwardly certain portionsthereof will be placed under compressive stress and other portions undertension. By so distorting the element and placing it under thesestresses its ability to stand up under applied loads is considerablyincreased.

Compression of the element in to a point where the inner shoulders I 2are in abutment will cause substantial sealing of the interior of thecompressible element I9, and I have provided a rubber sealing element I!in a portion of the compressed element If! so that air may be introducedunder pressure as with a hollow needle element inserted through the massof rubher I! to the interior of the element I 0, withdrawal of theneedle after inflation of the interior of the tire element resulting insealing of the opening made by the needle because of pres sure upon saidsealing mass I].

Fig. 4 illustrates a compressible element IB which is used for buildingup a dual wheel structure. Theprincipal requirement for the shape ofthis typetof compressible element is that it have at least two surfacesof revolution and, of course, these surfaces must be parallel to eachother to provide a dual wheel arrangement. The element is embodied withoppositely disposed interior projections l9 similar to the projectionsl2 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 In this case, as illustrated in Fig.5, whenthe element I8 is compressed, the shoulders H! are not necessarilybrought into abuttingrelation asin the case of the structure in Fig. 3.It will be seen that when the element I8 is compressed along the axis ofits surfaces of rotation the reduced central area 26 will causetheadjacent surfaces of the element to come together as shown in Fig. 5and since the end portions of the element have been pressed towardeachother, the element will assurne the tire shape shown in verticalsection in Fig. 5. Apair of plates 2| similar in shape to the plates Itin the first embodiment. are placed It will be noted, however, thatthese plates 2| have relatively heavy hub portions 22. These areprovided with openings and a bolt 23is slipped through. the left-handplate 2| and threaded through the opening in the right-hand plate 2|. Ofcourse the bolt 23 is used only in a smaller construction and if a wheelstructure of this type is to be "used for larger vehicles, some. othermeans than the bolt 23 would probably be substituted therefor. The treadelements 24 are shown around the surfaces of revolution of thecompressible element [8. and the wheel structure is shown in Fig. 5.These tread elements may be any shape or design such as the non-skidtread surfaces of a standard automobile tire. It is immaterial however;whether such elements are provided or not.

In the embodiment shown'in Figs. 6 and 7 it will be seen that thecompressible element 25 has an'originalshapeindicated by the dottedlines 26; It is' then depressed around its center and held as by thering 21, leaving two surfaces of revolution similar to those in theembodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5. It is, of course, preferred that theelement be provided with the shoulders 28 similar to the inner shouldersshown and described in the other embodiments and that it have suitablypositioned tread elements'29. Compression of this particular elementalong the axis of its surfaces of revolution will produce a tire andwheel structure of an appearance substantially as shown in Fig. '7. Themeans for retaining this element in its compressed shape is shown to beplates 3!! and a bolt 3| which are shaped and held together in the samemanner as the elements in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 shows a mass 32 of relatively solid but compressible materialsuch as sponge rubber. It is preferably provided with a central opening33 which isadapted to receive a retaining bolt 34 which in cooperationwith the disc-like plates 35 retain the element in its compressed shapein the same manner as the elements in Figs. 5 and '7. Of course theretaining element in this case may be the same as shown in Fig. 3.Suitable tread elements may be formed on the compressible mass 32 as inthe other embodiments and it is preferred that the small outer surfaceof the sponge rubber element be provided with a relatively tough skin orouter layer so that it will wear longer. From the foregoing it will beseen that I have provided a very simple process for forming a tireequipped wheel structure and the finished article is one which can beassembled very quickly and easily and in its final form presentssubstantially the same appearance as a conventional wheel and tireconstruction for vehicles. On the other hand, it is contemplated thatthese various structures can be used in some instances without anyinflation, the inherent strength of the compressible element beingsufficient in some cases to support the weight of the vehicle to whichit is secured. In the form shown in Fig. 3 it is suggested that any typeof standard axle construction could be easily adapted to support thewheel with the use of any well known bearing structure if it is desiredto provide an eflicient anti-friction mounting. However, on small toyvehicles it is thought that the sleeve IE will provide an effectivebearing surface. In the embodiments setforth in Figs. 5 and 7, thethreaded bolts 23 and 3| may be secured to a bearing element in anydesired manner.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a bead Illa which extends around the finishedtire just outside of the side plate Hi. This bead is intended not onlyto improve the appearance of the device, but is used to strengthen thewall of the element. While it is shown in that one position, it is to:be understood that a bead or beads may be placed atany desired point onthe element. If a bead is formed nearer to the tread portion of thetire, either inside or outside, the tire wall will be reenforced at thatpoint and will not bend so easily. This will give the appearance of astraight side tire andL flat tread such as is in common use today.

The inner, larger bead or built up portion 10b in Fig. 3 is also used tostrengthen the tire.v

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details and arrangement of parts of the apparatus and that thesequence of steps may be varied in my method, all within the scope ofthis invention.

What-is claimed is:

l. A wheel structure or the like comprising a one piece resilientelement having spaced ground engaging surfaces of revolution on a commonaxis, and oppositely positioned apertured portions on said axis pressedinwardly toward each other a distance substantially as great as half thelength of said axis, and portionsbetw'een said surfaces of revolution,said last mentioned portions forming adjacent side walls of a multiplewheel construction.

2. A wheel structure or the like comprising a one piece resilientelement having spaced surfaces of revolution on a common axis, andoppositely positioned apertured portions on said axis pressed inwardlytoward each other a considerable distance to produce a wheel shape, andportions between said surfaces of revolution, said last mentionedportions forming adjacent side walls of a multiple wheel construction,and means extending through said element for retaining said element inits inwardly pressed position.

3. A wheel structure or the like comprising a one piece resilientelement having spaced surfaces of revolution on a common axis, andoppositely positioned apertured portions on said axis pressed inwardlytoward each other, and portions between said surfaces of revolution,said last mentioned portions forming adjacent side walls of a multiplewheel construction, apertured discs positioned at the inwardly pressedportions of said element and shaped to cause said element to conformgenerally with the transverse sectional shape of a vehicle tire andwheel, and an axle member extending through said element and said discs.

4. A wheel structure or the like comprising a one piece resilientelement having parallel surfaces of revolution of substantially equaldiameter on a common axis and being apertured along said axis, saidelement being inwardly compressed against its normal resistance aconsiderable distance along said axis, and a ring-like member positionedbetween said parallel surfaces of revolution, said ring-like memberbeing of less diameter than that of said parallel surfaces ofrevolution, whereby said element, when compressed, will provide astructure simulating a conventional vehicle tire and wheel, and meansfor retaining

